Our group works on coral reefs, tropical marine ecosystems that protect coastlines, support tourism, and provide nutrition to many island nations.

Our focus is on defining biological traits that drive the differences in performance among corals and reefs.

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Our goal is to contribute knowledge that expands our basic understanding of how coral reefs function, and informs the management and conservation of these beautiful, important, but threatened ecosystems.

Super Corals—For the Future

American Museum of Natural History Science Bulletins

The Fate of Coral

UH Foundation 2018 - Coming Soon: Dr. Ruth Gates, Director of the Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, takes us on a journey exploring one of the most complex organisms in the world - coral. We'll dive into everything from what motivates a marine biologist like Dr. Gates to what can be done, if anything, to save coral.​

NOAA Ocean Today: The Science of Super Corals

NOAA Ocean Today December 22, 2017: Corals are sessile animals that "take root" on the ocean floor. It's no wonder that many people think corals are plants! When corals are stressed by changes in conditions such as temperature, light, or nutrients, they expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white. Watch the video here:
https://oceantoday.noaa.gov/fullmoon-scienceofsupercorals/welcome.html

New York Times, Damien Cave & Justin Gillis, September 20, 2017 - As reefs die off, researchers want to breed the world’s hardiest corals in labs and return them to the sea tomultiply. The effort raises scientific and ethical questions. Photo: David Smith

United States of Climate Change: Hawaii Assisted Evolution

The Weather Channel: Written by Mathew Eagle, Honolulu Civil Beat 2017 - They’ve been around for 200 million years. Hundreds of millions of people depend on them for food. Tourist economies rely on them. And now scientists are racing to save corals from an ocean that’s getting hotter. Photo: Alana Eagle